The Home Depole.......end of an era?

[Steve in Idaho]

The last closet rod I bought from Home Depot was a piece of hemlock. They had switched their stock away from fir. Hemlock is lighter, but doesn't lend well to canoe poles, because the slightest runout in grain tends to peel loose into sharp edges. It's usable, but not ideal.

In a recent rip to HD, I went looking to see if they had maybe switched back. They switched alright. No more wood closet rods longer than six feet. It seems that all new construction has gone to plastic coated metal rods. Bad news for beginning polers if this is the trend everywhere.

 

[SaganagaJoe]

Would it be possible to make your own out of a tree limb if you wanted to? Might be kind of a fun project. I'm sure we'll have some big fir limbs down this winter.

 

[Canotrouge]

The best way to make them is to find a clear spruce 2x4 and make two pole out of it. Making them is quick and easy!!

 

[BWCA66]

Stair rail?

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Not a concern for me personally, as I have been making my poles out of ash planks and aluminum tubing. But the closet rod was an easy way for a beginner to get started. Now I can't make that suggestion, it seems.

Spruce - I wish I could get it in my area. Seems to be unobtanium here. Stair rail might as well be a plank, since it is generally not round in cross section.

 

[alsg]

Just picked up a 10' pine pole at my local Home Depot in Gaithersburg, MD.

 

[Chip]

See my post on Makoro poling for an alternative to the HD closet pole.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Just picked up a 10' pine pole at my local Home Depot in Gaithersburg, MD.

You sure that's pine? Fir used to be the standard, and it was pretty easy to find a good straight stick with no knots. Finding same with pine would be a trick - and then not as strong as fir. Anyway - 10' is a bit on the short side.

I really want to be wrong about this. It's hard to get someone interested with a required $80-$100 start-up.

 

[Canotrouge]

You sure that's pine? Fir used to be the standard, and it was pretty easy to find a good straight stick with no knots. Finding same with pine would be a trick - and then not as strong as fir. Anyway - 10' is a bit on the short side.

I really want to be wrong about this. It's hard to get someone interested with a required $80-$100 start-up.

It is hard to get someone interested period... So every little bit help!! Most people don't see the use of polling, lining and or tracking these days...

 

[alsg]

It had a sticker on it saying “Pine” but we are talking HD so who knows!!

You sure that's pine? Fir used to be the standard, and it was pretty easy to find a good straight stick with no knots. Finding same with pine would be a trick - and then not as strong as fir. Anyway - 10' is a bit on the short side.

I really want to be wrong about this. It's hard to get someone interested with a required $80-$100 start-up.

 

[Murat V]

Haven't checked out my local Home Depot for wood closet rods. Will take a gander to see the Canadian supply has been phased out too. It certainly was a great way for newbies to discover the joy of poling. But with a little woodworking it's still possible to build a functional home depole from supplies in the store. I made a two-piece wood canoe pole this season from a 2x10x8 piece of lumber. It's either spruce or fir (have a hard time telling the difference in finished boards) but at least it had very straight grain lines along one side with the added must of being knot-free in that section.

I ripped two 1.5" strips and then worked the pieces round a crooked knife but of course folks with power tools could do this much more efficiently.

Sort of followed RavenJester's detailed tutorial, "Building aTwo-piece Home Depot Canoe Pole" but couldn't source a stainless ferrule without exorbitant shipping. In the end, I ordered a reasonably priced carbon fiber ferrule from Duckworks meant for the thicker 1.5" shaft of Greenland style kayak paddles.

Haven't sealed the wood yet but here are the pics...

For the shoe I used a piece of copper pipe with a large washer, lag screw and some bolts.

 

[Canotrouge]

Murat, I need to make a 2 piece pole, Would have come handy on the fly in trip this fall... Ended p w/o a pole and I missed it!!

 

[dougd]

My first pole was a maple sapling I liberated from the local woods and shaved it down to where it felt good. Treated it with some oil and used it for at least 3 years before I got an aluminum pole. Last time I looked at Home Depole I couldn't find a closet rod that was either long enough or thin enough to consider purchasing.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Haven't checked out my local Home Depot for wood closet rods. Will take a gander to see the Canadian supply has been phased out too. It certainly was a great way for newbies to discover the joy of poling. But with a little woodworking it's still possible to build a functional home depole from supplies in the store. I made a two-piece wood canoe pole this season from a 2x10x8 piece of lumber. It's either spruce or fir (have a hard time telling the difference in finished boards) but at least it had very straight grain lines along one side with the added must of being knot-free in that section.

I ripped two 1.5" strips and then worked the pieces round a crooked knife but of course folks with power tools could do this much more efficiently.

Sort of followed RavenJester's detailed tutorial, "Building aTwo-piece Home Depot Canoe Pole" but couldn't source a stainless ferrule without exorbitant shipping. In the end, I ordered a reasonably priced carbon fiber ferrule from Duckworks meant for the thicker 1.5" shaft of Greenland style kayak paddles.

Haven't sealed the wood yet but here are the pics...

For the shoe I used a piece of copper pipe with a large washer, lag screw and some bolts.

A little large in diameter, but that'll do. I'd just taper it down from the ferrule to 1.25".

Still, an additional $27 plus shipping. Not bad, but not attractive as a trial balloon. Still - I'm going to have to avail myself of that, just to have a two-piece in wood. Thanks for posting!